• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Swan Hellenic's Cruising4Oceans initiative is recognised as a pilot site within the GlobalCoast Network—a UN effort supporting sustainability.
September 23, 2026
The pilot is the GlobalCoast Network's first ship-based site and its southernmost, centred on Deception Island in Antarctica.
Swan Hellenic's three expedition ships—SH Vega, SH Diana, and SH Minerva – will operate in Antarctica this coming summer, collectively gathering ongoing environmental data during their regular cruises, providing quality-controlled information to the global scientific community.
By combining daily measurements with seasonal returns to the area, the initiative builds a repeated and detailed picture of local ocean conditions, which is then shared freely via the European EMODnet data infrastructure.
Andrea Zito, CEO of Swan Hellenic, explains: "we believe that being able to operate in these environments comes with a responsibility to make our presence as positive and meaningful as possible. We want our ships not simply to visit these places, but to contribute to their understanding and protection. Cruising4Oceans is a very practical expression of that ambition: while our ships are carrying guests on expedition, they can also contribute valuable observations to the international scientific community."
Mario Dogliani, President of the foundation that promotes maritime sustainability and ocean health restoration, SDG4MED, and coordinator of Cruising4Oceans, adds: "We are not creating a new scientific approach, we are simply making scientific use of ships that are already there. By collecting observations every day and making the validated data freely available through EMODnet, Cruising4Oceans can provide information from areas where recurring observations are otherwise extremely difficult to obtain."
Beyond environmental data collection, Cruising4Oceans actively involves guests in citizen science and ocean awareness activities. Passengers can participate in programs such as whale observation through Happywhale and engage in educational experiences about marine ecosystems. When conditions allow, the initiative also incorporates marine litter and plastic removal efforts, turning the voyage into a direct contribution to environmental protection.
Swan Hellenic's expedition ships also operate similar data collection efforts in other remote coastal regions like Svalbard and Greenland.